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This study contributes to the labour market research into nurse shortage in an Australian regional context. It indicates that supply decisions are influenced by family circumstances, attachment to regional life and characteristics of the profession, particularly the emphasis on caring. Aspects of nursing work, particularly workloads and working with competent people (as opposed to autonomy and career prospects), and conditions of work, particularly wages, protection from violence and flexibility of working time are more able to be affected by government and management. The study also suggests that a 'strict' approach to employment and work organisation tends to follow traditional medical treatment assumptions and lead to unnecessary cultural and systemic inflexibility. Generational conflict ('older' and 'younger' nurses) overlaid by opposition to the current system of nurse education (hospital-based and university-based) emerge as additional problems impacting on the participation of nurses.

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Are highly educated workers better at locating in areas with high labor demand? To answer this question, I use three decades of US census data to estimate a McFadden-style model of residential location choice. I test for education differentials in the likelihood that young workers reside in states experiencing positive labor demand shocks at the time these workers entered the labor market. I find effects of changes in state labor demand in college graduate location choice that are several times greater than for high school graduates. Nevertheless, medium-run wage effects of entry labor market conditions for college graduates equal or exceed those of less-educated workers.

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Poor planning in the past means that Australia faces a shortage of doctors. International medical graduates (IMGs) have been brought in on temporary visas to fill some of the gaps, especially in rural areas. Unfortunately, a few stories of bad outcomes from this practice have led to a negative picture of IMGs in the media, an image that is sometimes reinforced in more scholarly research. But most IMGs work hard and do well. We need to recognise our dependence on them and offer them more support in their role.

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In light of continuing debates about shortages in health professional workforces, and decisions over the past few years to increase the number of medical, dental and physiotherapy schools across Australia, this paper reports on a study of the careers of medical, dental and physiotherapy graduates from South Australian universities from 1960 to 2003. We found substantial change over time, including recent graduate cohorts having proportionally more females and fewer having attended a private secondary school. A significant minority reported job dissatisfaction and burnout, with recent cohorts reporting higher levels of stress than older respondents. They were also working part-time more than was the case for older cohorts at equivalent points in their careers. We argue that strategies to increase graduate numbers in the near future can reduce shortages of health professionals, but increased numbers alone may not be sufficient to promote a sustainable health professional workforce.

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We are experiencing a global health workforce shortage of stunning proportions: 4.5 million health workers are needed globally, with a full one million needed in sub-Saharan Africa alone. Demographic changes and medical advances have led to an increased pull from developed countries for health workers from all over the world, a phenomenon that is projected to last for decades to come. Health worker migration provides a dramatic amplification of what has been going on for years with no apparent solution - 'brain drain' - the loss of many developing countries' best and brightest to wealthier nations, leaving these nations ill equipped to build viable health care systems in the face of massive out-migration. A few pioneering countries that receive foreign-trained health workers have established bilateral agreements with their primary source countries to guide recruitment, exchange, and development assistance between them. The UK-South Africa Memorandum of Understanding, complimented by simultaneous internal UK policy to increase domestic production of health care workers, was among the first. These emerging policy innovations - bilateral, regional, and global - point the way forward to a new, more cooperative and collaborative approach to ethically and efficiently manage the demand for health care workers globally. As a weak health system anywhere is a weak health system everywhere, it is in the best interest of all to search for methods to address the global imbalance of health care workers. [This] guidebook will provide ideas and guidance for policymakers to explore new ways to cooperate with partner countries around the critical issue of health worker migration.

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A Levy-Grant Scheme (LGS) has existed in the UK construction industry since 1964 to provide financial support for companies undertaking training activities. Despite the support of the LGS for various training activities, notably apprenticeships, the construction industry continues to suffer from both labour shortages and an under-investment in training activity when compared to other sectors in the economy. This situation raises the question as to whether a LGS is an effective means for supporting training activity. This paper thus presents an in-depth review of the case for and against a UK construction LGS. It is argued that the LGS on its own is insufficient to alleviate labour shortages and poor participation levels in training. Moreover, if the LGS is to continue enjoying the support of employers it is important that levy payers (in particular) see the value of the scheme as integral to their business activities and do not regard it as a mere tax. The demonstration of the real value of the LGS becomes imperative when considering the current economic climate where companies are working with tighter budgets.

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This study has been commissioned by the European Commission with the objective to perform an evaluation of the implementation of the Communication of the European Commission on 'e-Skills for the 21st Century: Fostering Competitiveness, Growth and Jobs' over the period 2007-2010. This included evaluating the efficiency and effectiveness of the implementation of the Communication in the different Member States and at European level and the relevance of the [European Union] EU e-skills agenda. The study addressed national and European policies, initiatives and activities; multi-stakeholder partnerships of industry, associations, training organisations, trade unions, and other actors and further activities. It included initiatives with respect to formal and industry-based education and dealt with e-skills which include [information and communications technology] 'ICT user skills' (in particular digital literacy of citizens) and 'ICT practitioner skills and 'e-business skills'.

The main conclusion is that industry desperately needs highly skilled ICT practitioners and Europe needs more young people to become ICT practitioners to supply future increases in demand. The recommendations given include the need for a continuous monitoring of progress and better coordination and synchronisation with the activities of the Member States and other stakeholders.

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There is a looming labour market shortfall in Canada as the aging population advances towards retirement, signifying a decline in the proportion of population in the prime working years (15 to 64). At the same time labour market requirements are also changing. With the emergence of a knowledge economy, the proportion of labour force requiring some form of education or training beyond high school will increase dramatically. The likelihood is there will be large numbers of unskilled workers looking for jobs that require skills they do not possess, and a large number of jobs that will go unfilled. This report discusses the intersection of these two mega-trends and strategic, pro-active policies that could be adopted to encourage a better outcome.

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Australia has a long history of migration of medical practitioners and nurses. This paper provides an overview of the current situation regarding the supply of and demand for doctors and nurses and Australia's immigration policies and regulatory framework. Trends in training numbers and the relationship to demand will be analyzed and it will be shown that a continuation of widespread shortages can be expected. This paper also questions Australia's standing as a 'global citizen' in relation to policy initiatives aimed at attracting overseas-trained doctors.

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International medical graduate (IMG) specialists in anaesthesia need education to be part of the assessment process for pre-registration college fellowship. Fellowship of the anaesthetic college is required in Australia for registration as a specialist in this field. Marked differences exist between local trainees and IMG specialists in terms of training, stakes of the exam and isolation of practice. We have examined the reasons for the low pass rate for IMG specialists compared to the local trainees in the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) final fellowship examinations. We also offer an IMG specialists' view of this perceived problem. It highlights their difficulties in obtaining adequate supervision and education.

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